Noah’s Ark on the Reef: Relocating the heart of Australia’s national education centre for the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Australia's lead management agency for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Behind the glass tunnel of the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium was a living, breathing tropical reef exhibit - and safeguarding it demands both scientific excellence and dedicated stewardship.
Over the past three years, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has led one of the most extraordinary relocations in aquarium history: a modern-day Noah’s Ark mission to rehome hundreds of marine animals from Townsville’s Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. From crocodiles, sharks and sea snakes to 33 unique species of living corals and hundreds of reef fish, every move was carefully planned, monitored, and executed with one priority - the wellbeing of the animals entrusted to our care.
This was not just a logistical challenge; it was an exercise in precision, resilience, and teamwork. More than 5.5 tonnes of reef rock, sand, plus hundreds of delicate corals and fish were relocated to purpose-built facilities at the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s National Sea Simulator where they remain under the Aquarium’s care until they will return to new exhibits at the redeveloped facility. Sharks from the Predator Tank were transported under expert supervision over 1,400 kilometres to their new home at Sea World on the Gold Coast where they are thriving today.
This unprecedented feat reflects the professionalism and passion of the team at the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. It also underscores the scale of what lies ahead as we reimagine Australia’s national education centre for the Great Barrier Reef.
With the animal relocation now complete, our focus is firmly on the future. The Great Barrier Reef Aquarium, which first opened in 1987 featuring the world’s largest living coral reef exhibit, is undergoing a $180 million redevelopment that will see it reopen in 2029 - or earlier, if feasible.
This project is more than a rebuild. It is a transformative project for Townsville’s future - boosting the local economy, creating jobs, and advancing tropical reef education. The new Aquarium will be a place-maker in the heart of the CBD, a source of pride for the community, and a destination of inspiration for visitors from across Australia and around the globe.
When reopened, visitors can look forward to world-class immersive exhibitions, interactive storytelling, and living reef displays that inspire curiosity and action to protect the Reef for generations to come. Designed with operational efficiency and sustainability in mind, the new facility will deliver lasting value - environmentally, economically, and socially.
As custodians of the Great Barrier Reef and its stories, we are proud to bring this once-in-a-generation vision to life. The next chapter of the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium will not only showcase the wonders of the Reef but also reaffirm why protecting it is one of the most important missions of our time.
We are immensely proud of what has been achieved so far, grateful to our partners who share this vision, and energised by the possibilities that lie ahead. This is about more than an Aquarium, it is about connecting people everywhere of all ages and abilities with the Reef, and in doing so, inspiring stewardship of the world’s most extraordinary living system.
General Manger – Major Projects
For all the latest news on the Great Barrier Reef Aquarium’s redevelopment visit www.greatbarrierreefaquarium.au and subscribe to our newsletter.
General Manager Major Projects, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
3wThe Aquarium as everyone remembers it is still there. The cleared site is where offices and IMax Theatre used to be. We are now finalising structural assessments that will inform final redevelopment options. The project is on a positive delivery trajectory. An exciting new era in Reef Education. #lovethereef
Owner & manager at Giru Barra & Crayfish
3wI can't help but be reminded just how sad this whole affair really is. I've followed the Aquarium's development, commissioning and operation since 1984 (which coincided with the completion of my Aquatic Resource Management studies). Our family regularly took out-of-town friends and family to the Aquarium, proudly showing off Townsville's point of difference. Now, for more years than I want to recall, the site is but a concrete slab. It does not sit well with me, nor the rest of Townsville, to hear promises of it's "refurbishment" (resurrection or other). I can't express how sad I feel ,knowing that 2029 is just another promised date unlikely to be met due to misplaced funding prioritisation.